Fish carrier



y c. R. SHANNON 00.0

FISH CARRIER Filed April 15, 1939 INVENTOR C'harZeSRa Shannon ATTO R NEYS.

{Patented May 7,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE u 2.200.044 I I CARRIER. Charles R. Shannon,Harlan,v "Ky., assignor of one-fourth to L'RLMuir, Crummies,-Ky., and vone-fourth to Carl AbeL -Lenarua'Ky.

Application April 15, 1939, 'Serial No. 268,070 2 Claims. (emu-,7)

This invention relates to an improved fish carrier and has for an objectto provide a'construction wherein the fish may be readily placed on thecarrier and removed therefrom, and when on the carrier may be submergedin water or carried from place to place. 7

Another object of the invention is to provide a carrier on which fishare adapted to be placed and left in the water until a desired time andvthen the parts adjusted-for presenting a handle adjacent the bunch offish so that the fish may he carried without any inconvenience.-

A'further object more specifically is to provide a carrier for fishprovided with a plurality of fish-engaging members, a supporting chain,and

a handle which may be adjusted to various points I on the chain so thatthe handle may be arranged at a distance from the fish or verynear thefish.

In the accompanying drawing Figure 1 is a side view of a carrierdisclosing an embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view through the lower part of thestructure shown in Fig. 1, a number of fish-engaging members beingeliminated for the purpose of clearness;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of one of the fish-en- I gaging loops, theview being taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; Y

- Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view through Fig. 2 approximately onthe line 4-4;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view through the washer shown in Fig. 2, the sameembodying certain features of the invention;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view similar to part of Fig. 2 but showing acarrier plate coacting with the washer shown in Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a plan View of the handle shown in Fig; 1 together with ashort section of chain;

Fig. 8 is a sectional view through Fig. '7 approximately on the line88', the chain being shown interlocked with the handle in a similarmanner to that shown in Fig. l. 7

When fishing from a small boat it is customary to place the fish on astring or other member and then to allow the fish to remain in the waterwhile the end of the string or other member is connected to some part ofthe boat. This keeps the fish fresh until it is time to land.

In the present invention means has been provided for receiving the fishand holding the same captive while the fisherman is in the boat. Thestructure also is adapted to be adjusted so that the fish may be carriedin a small bunch rather than on a long string. As illustrated in Fig. 1,

. the numeral I indicates a handle and 2 a chain the upper of-anydesired length. The chain 2 is connected with a carrier plate 3 whichsupports a number of auxiliary chains 4, and each of these auxiliarychains is provided with a fish-engaging'loop 5. The handlefI, as shownin Figs. 7 and 8, is an arc-shaped (in section) piece of metal havinganopening 6 for receiving one link of the chain 2 and also-an opening Ithrough which thechain may move when adjusting the position of thehandle on the chain. The handle I' is also provided with a slot 8extending from one end of the handle to the opening 1 and beyond opening'I across the depression 9. When it is'desired to use thehandle .I atthe end of the chain, the parts are arranged as shown in Fig. 8, withone of the links of the chain extending through slot 8 at the depression9. In case it should be desired to move the handle I to a point near thecarrier plate 3, or at any place along the chain 2, the link in the slot8, as shown in Fig. 8, is moved over to the opening I and then thehandle slid along the chain to the desired point. After this has beendone the parts are adjusted so that one of the lower links will fit intothe slot 8 adjacent the depressionv 9. By this arrangement the entirechain 2 may be used when the fish are in the water, but when it isdesired to carry the fish the handle 'I is moved to a point adjacent thecarrier plate 3 so that the handle will be near the head of the fish.

The carrier plate 3 is provided with a base I0, an upstanding flange II,and a number of slits I2. In the accompanying drawing ten slits havebeen-shown but it will be evident that more or less may be providedwithout departing from the spirit of the invention. Arranged in thecarrier plate 3 is a ring I3 divided at I4 whereby the end link I5 ofeach of the chains 4 may be applied to the ring or removed therefrom.After the links I5 have been applied to the ring I3, the parts are ,thenarranged as shown in Fig. 4'. The clamping washer I6 is then placed inposition, as illustrated in Fig. 2, and the link or toggle I1 is alsoarranged as shown in said figure. After the parts have been assembled asjust described the bolt I8 is applied and then the parts are incondition a resilient member 20 which is adapted to be inserted throughthe upper and lower lips of the fish when the fish is being threadedonto the loop 5. The upper end of body 19 is formed with a looppresenting an eye 2| which merges into a hook 22 having a bent-back endportion 23 that presents a rounded or smooth portion and an abutment forpreventing the member or arm 20 from moving out of the hook 22.

It will be noted that as the loops are all of the same size and shapeand the chain 4 of the same length, all of the fish on the carrier willbe arranged in a group or circle. If the entirecarrier, as shown in Fig.4, is filled there will be ten fish when the structure shown in thedrawing is used. These ten fish will be arranged in a circle and whenthe handle I is moved down to near the carrier plate 3 the group orbunch of fish may be readily carried, which would not be the case if thefish were arranged one after the other'on a string. Also any individualfish may be quickly removed, which would not be possible where anordinary string or cord is used.

After a fish is caught it is placed on one of the loops 5 and thenplaced in the water. When a second fish is caught the second fish islikewise placed on a loop 5 and placed in the water. It will beunderstood that the chain 2, preferably near the handle I, is secured insome manner to the boat so that the fish which have been caught and heldby the carrier will be ready to be removed from the water when thefishing operation is completed. In this way the fish are maintainedfresh and usually alive until the entire bunch removed when thefisherman goes ashore.

I claimi v l. A fish carrier including a handle, a chain having one endconnected with said-handle, a carrier plate having a plurality of slotsin the periphery, a ring arranged in said carrier plate, a chain foreach of said slots, said chains having flat links, one link ofeach chainextending through a slot and surrounding said ring, a Washer arranged onthe top of said ring for preventing the same leaving said carrier plateand a bolt connected with one end of the first-mentioned chain andextending through said washer and said carrier plate for clamping thewasher and carrier plate together and at the same time connecting thefirst-mentioned chain with thecarrier plate, and a plurality offish-receiving loops arranged at the free ends of the auxiliary chains.

2. A fish carrier including a handle, a chain time connecting said chainwith the carrier plate,

and a plurality of fish-receiving loops connected with said ring.

CHARLES R. SHANNON.

